Combination welding helmet and safety hat



Aug. 1, 1939. F. M. BOWERS COI BINATI ON WELDING HELMET AND SAFETY HAT"Filed 001;. l, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet '1 r Iliih.

l'elifr INVENIOR. 50/4/552- the hat, However,

Patents i, was

UNITED STATES.

PATEN communes wsmmo HELMET AND SAFETY nu Frederick M. Bowers, Chelter,Pa.

Application October 1,

' 9 5 Kiwi a voluntary matter or made compulsory by state Jew, Obviouslythe purpose of these safety hats is to protect the head of the wearerfrom injury which might be caused as an incident to his workin's.

While as a general rule it is necessary that all of the woren on anyparticular-job wear these safety hots, those on the job who are engagedin arc welding operations must weer a welding helmet or shield toprotect them from the dying particles of steel and oxide which arethrown out by the welding operation.

At the present time it is en impractical proposi= tion, it not anentirely impossible one, for the operator to at the same time wear asafety hat end a welding helmet, as the presence of the safety hat onthe wearer's head precludes the possibility of the welding helmets ofknown design being positioned thereover.

Accordingly, this invention has in view as its foremost objective theprovision of a safety hat and welding helmet which may be worn at thesome time on the heed of the wearer. In carrying out this objective ine, prscticol embodiment, the invention takes cognlnsnce of the feet thatfor long perlods of time the seiety hat will be worn alone, end theinvention, therefore, has in view as a further more detailed objectivethe pro vision of a combination safety-hat and welding helmet which arereadily detached and assembled so that one or both may worn, as occasiondemsnds.

Due to the need for efiectively guarding the head end face of the-weeiiei' against flyi icles of steel and oxide, the invention has inview as a further more detailed objective the provision of means forcreating a seal between the helmet and safety hot,

Ordinarily a certain amount of space between these two articles isrequired so as to permit of swinging movement oi the helmet with respectto in accordance with this invention a. protective strip is interposedbetween the helmet and hat along a required line to prevent flyingparticles of therebeyond.

I 55 Jinview of the fact that many conditionsarisepsssese of fillinoxide and steel passing 1937, Serial no. 166.800

in which the weldingoperotor will be desirous of wearing the weldinghelmet or shield alone and dispense with the safety hat, the inventionalso has in view as an important objective the provision of a. weldinghelmet of the character above described which may be readily attached toand detached from either one of these safety grate or a. headgear modeclone conventional ines.

It is now common practice in the art of welding helmets to employ a,headgear which consists substtially of a headband that extends about thehe of the wearer, and which headband is provlded with a cross strip thatextends across the top of the wearer's he. In accordance with thisinvention, this headgear is manufactured as a single unit, and isprovided with means for attsching a, welding helmet thereto in such amanher thatit may be readily detached therefrom.. Thus the weldinghelmet may be applied either to one of these headgears or to a safetyhot, as occeslon demands.

Various other more detailed objects and advantages such as those whicharise in connection with the carrying out of the above noted objectiveswill in part become opponent and in part he hereinafter stated, as thedescription of the inventionproceeds.

The invention, therefore, comprises an combination welding helmet andsatiety hot, and in which the welding helmet is readily attached to ordeinched from a hot when the letter is in position on a wearers heed.Associated withthe helmet and hot are means for guarding against theparticles of steel and oxide therebetween. An essential part of theinven tion also lies in the combination of the welding helmet with e,headgear made along conventional lines, which is adapted to have thewelding helmet attached to or detached therefrom.

For a full and more complete understanding of the invention referencemay he had to the following description and accompanying drawings,wherein Figure l is a side view developing a safety hat in the positionin which it will be worn on a wearers head. In this view the upper partof e. welding helmet is also brought in to bring out the relationship ofthe welding helmet to thesafety hat,

Figure 2 is a sectional showingtsken at right angles to the showing ofFigurel, and in this by the line 2-2 of Figure l, I

Figure 3 is an enlarged detailed view in perspective of one of theextensions on the welding helmet which connect the latter either to thehat or headgear,

Figure 4 is a view somewhat similar to Figure 1, developing the weldinghelmet substantially in its entirety by bringing out the relationship ofthis helmet to a headgear to which it may be attached; part of thehelmet being broken away to develop the construction of the headgear,

Figure 5 is a sectional showing normal to the showing of Figure 4 andtaken about on the plane represented by the line 5-5 of Figure 4,

Figure 6 is an enlarged detailed view in section of one modification ofthe shell which maybe employed betweenthe helmet and hat, and

Figure '7 is a similar view ofstill another modification.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference characters denotecorresponding parts. a safety hat is shown in Figures 1 and 2 andreferred to in its entirety by the reference character H. Safety hats ofthis type are well-known and are available to the public as such.Ordinarily they include an outer shell it which may be made from acanvas base Bakelite oran appropriate vulcanized fibre. This outer shellis hard and rigid, and is intended to provide the required protectiveeffects.

This shell lli assumes the dome-like shape illustrated in the drawings,and along its free lower edge is formed with an outwardly extendingflange designated I l. The dimensions and curvature of this flange llmay vary at diflerent points about the hat, but "along each side assumethe dimensions and curvature particularly illustrated in Figure 2. I

The outer shell III is supported from an inner harness l2 which isdesigned to snugly fit the head of the wearer, the outer shell It beingmaintained in spaced relationship from the harness. This harness l2 maybe made from fabric or strips of vulcanized fibre. Ordinarily itincludes the headband shown at l3, and strips which extend upwardlytherefrom and towards the top;

of the wearers head; these being designated l4.

An anchoring band 9 may be secured about the inner side of the edge ofthe shell III as by rivets 8, and interposed between this band 9 and theshell iii are the extremities of the strips l4. At

' their upper ends these strips [4 may cross or be connected together bythe cord band 9 is formed with upwardly extending ears 6 from which arestruck tabs 5 that, at their lower ends, are secured to the headband l3as by the rivets 4. Thus the shell 10 is supported in spaced relationtothe headband l3.

At each side the outer shell [0 of the hat H is provided with a pair ofspaced shoulder rivets it. These rivets l5 have heads and spaced fromthe puter surface of the shell ll, providing shoulders designated IT,for a purp se to be hereinafter pointed out. The upper part of a weldinghelmet is shown in Figure 1 as comprising a mask member M having theusual curvature by which it is adapted to fit about the wearer's faceand protective eflects. This mask M is provided with the usual filterglass at It.

The maskM is'pivotally mounted at each side to a pair of extensionsdesignated l9 and Isa respectively. The pivotal mountings at each sideof the mask M are referred to generally by the refshown at I. The- ISthat are enlarged provide the desired s,'1e'/,eea

This view is taken about on the plane represented erence character 24,and the detailed construction .ofthese pivotal mountings need not bedescribed here in detail. It suiiieq to say that the mountings areeiiective to provide a required amount of frictional resistance topivotal move-- ment of themaskMwith respect tothe extensions it and itswhereby the mask will remain in any position into which it may beadjusted. A friction device for this purpose is clearly illustrated anddescribed in the co-pending application ofFrederick M. Bowers, SerialNo. 166,187, flied Oct. 1, 1937, and entitled Headgear friction jointdevice for welding shiel The extensions l2 and Ila are of duplicateconst'ruction, and only one of them needs be described for thepurpose ofthis specification. At the lower extremity the extension II is of theloop formation represented at 2|, and which loop formation receives thepivotal mounting 22. As shown in Figure 2, this loop formation 21 snuglyfits in the curvature of the flange I I.

Above the loop formation the two thicknesses of the material definingthe extension it are "joined together, and for all elective purposesconstitute a single unitary strip, this strip being provided withelongated openings 22 that are enlarged. as shown at 23. These openings22 are spaced apart a distance corresponding to the spacings of therivets I! on the hat 3.-

At this point it is well to note that the mask 11 and extensions l2 and[to may be made from any appropriate material, but a vulcanized fibrehas now-assumed a definite status in the art of welding helmets and isindicated as a preferred material, as it is particularly adapted to themanufacturing operations. v

The enlarged portions 22 of the elongated openings 22 are designed tohave the heads it of the rivets it pass therethrough. Thus theextensions i2 and Isa may be detachably anchored in position on thehat Hby causing the enlarged head it to pass in the enlargements 23 of theopenings 22, after which lateral movement is imparted to the extensionsi2 and "a to cause the rivets I! to move upwardly in the elongatedopenings 22 whereby I engage the extensions I2 and lie to securely holdthem in position onthe outer shell ll of the hat H. With the extensionsI2 and its thus positioned the mask M is pivotaily mounted on the hat H.Y

In order to effectively E -Id against fly D"- ticles of metal and oxidewhen the mask M is in eflective position, the invention has in view theuse of interlocking angle irons which amended by the shield and hatrespectively, to provide a seal in the space between these parts. Asshown in Figure 1, the mask M carries a strip of angle iron 24 that maybe anchored thereto in any appropriate manner, as by the rivets shown at2!. A second angle strip that is complemental to the strip 24 is shownat 26 as being carried by the shell it of the hat H and secured theretoby rivets 21. when the mask M is in position in front of the wearer'sface these angle strips 24 and 2" will interlock in the mannerillustrated, and provide an effective seal. i

In some instances the interlocking arrangement shown in Figure 1 may bedispensed with and a single strip that is carried either by the shieldor hat employed. For instance, as shown in Figure 6 the strip 24 that iscarried by the mask M substantially fills the space between this mask Mand the shell It, to provide the desired protective effects, or asshownin Figure 'l the strip 2! the shoulders II of the rivetsare-7,900

that is carried by the shell II will alone provide the protectiveeffects.

Referring now more particularly to Figures 4 and 5, a headgear whichisma'de along conventional lines is shown as comprising a headband 28that is adapted to extend about the head of a wearer, and which carriesthe cross piece 20 that fits over the top of the head of a wearer. Theheadband 28 and 29 ismade' from the usual fibrous material, and iscomparable to the conventional headbands now incorporated in the weldinghelmets and shie -maskMareadaptedtobe headband adapted mit passage of'through.

At each side thecross piece 29 carries a pair of spaced rivets which arein all respects similar to the shoulder rivets ii that are carried bythe hat I-I. Thus the extensions l9 and Na of the anchored to theheadgear in the same manner as they are secured to the hat H.

While preferred specific embodiments of the invention are hereinbeforeset forth it is to be clearly understood that I am not to be limited tothe exact constructions illustrated and described,

because various modifications of these details may be provided inputting the invention into practice within the purview of the appendedclaims.

I claim:

1. In combination, a safety hat comprising a headgear adapted to fitsnugly over the head of a wearer, and a hard outer shell spacedtherefrom, a pair of spaced rivets on each side of said outer shell,each of said rivets having an enlarged head spaced from the outersurface of the shell, and a welding helmet comprising a mask andextensions at each side of they mask pivotally connected thereto, eachelongated openings with enlarged portions with spacings between theelongated openings-the same as between the spacings of the rivets on theshell whereby the heads of said rivets are adapted to pass through theenlargements of said openings to secure the extensions to the shell.

2. In combination, a welding helmet comprising a mask adapted to bepositioned in front of the face of a wearer, extensions pivotallyconnected to each side of the mask, a-headgear consisting of a headbandadapted to extend about the head of a wearer, and a cross piece adaptedtofitacrossthetop oftheheadof awearenand means for detachably securingsaid extensions to saidcrom piece. v

3. In combination, a headgear comprising a to fit about thehead of awearer, a cross piece carried by the said band and adapted to-fit acrossthe top of the head of a wearer. spaced rivets carried by the crosspiece at each side thereof, each of said rivets having an enlarged headof the cross piece. a welding helmet consisting of a mask andextensions'at eachside of the mask pivotally connected thereto, each ofsaid'extensions having spaced the heads of the rivets there- 4. Incombination, a welding helmetcomprisingalnaskadaptedtobepositionedinfront of the face of a wearer,extensions pivotally connectedtoeachsideofthemask-andaheadof saidextensions having spaced from the outer surface gear adapted to bepositioned on the head of a wearer and carrying said extensionsdetachably and non-rotatably se curing the same to the headgear,,saidmeans comprising quickly detachable interlocking parts.

5. In .combination, a welding helmet comprising a mask adapted to bepositioned in front of the face of a wearer, extensions pivotallyconnected to each side of the mask, each of said extensions being formedwith anelongated opening terminating in an enlarged recess, a headgearadapted to be mounted on the head of a wearer and carrying at each sidea headed rivet, the said rivet being received in the said elongatedopening to efiect a detachable connection of the helmet to the headgear.

6. In combination. a welding helmet comprising a mask adapted to bepositioned in frontof the face of a wearer, extensions pivotallyconnected to each side of the mask, each of said extensions being formedwith an elongated opening terminating in an enlarged recess, a headgearadapted to be mounted on the head of a wearer and carrying at each sidea headed rivet, said rivet being received in said elongated opening toeffect a detachable connection of the helmet to the headgear, andcooperating means carried by said helmet and headgear for preventingswinging of the said extensionsabout the said rivet as a center.

7.-In combination, a safety hat comprising a headgear adapted to fitsnugly over the head of the wearer, and a hard outer shell spacedtherefrom, a rivet on each side of the said outer shell, each of saidrivets having an enlarged head spaced from the outer surface of theshell, anda welding helmet comprising a mask, and extensions at eachside of the mask pivotallyconnected thereto, each of said extensionshaving an elongated opening terminating in an enlarged portion throughwhich the head of one of the rivets is adapted to pass.

8. In combination, a safety hat comprising a headgear adapted to fitsnugly over the head of the wearer, and a hard outer shell spacedtherefrom, a rivet on each side of the said outer shell. each of saidrivets having an enlarged head means cooperating with spaced from theouter surface of the shell, and a cooperating means on i ing movement ofthe extensions with respect to the shell about said rivet.

9. In combination, a welding helmet comprising a mask adapted to bepositioned in front of the face of a wearer,'extensions pivotallyconnected to each side of the mask, each of said extensions being formedwith an elongated opening terminating in an enlarged recess, a headgearadapted to be mounted on the head of a wearer and carrying at each sidea headed rivet. the head of said rivet being adapted to pass throughsaid enlarged recess whereby the neck of the rivet is received in thesaid opening, and complemental parts of a detachable fastening ed byeach of said extensions and said headrespectivelin.

FREDERICK M. BOWERS.

